KillJoy
by TeamAlphaQ
Summary: You thought nothing could surprise you after running away with Ticci Toby. Sadly, Toby's been keeping secrets that could cost you your life. Ticci Toby reader insert. Rated T for Gore and mild language. *Sequel to Saved by Murder*
1. Followed

**A/N: THIS IS A SEQUEL!**

 **I don't want any confusion here. If you are reading this then I hope you have already read Saved by Murder, the first story.**

 **You don't have to, I would just highly recommend it. Enjoy!**

You roll over with a yawn only to see a bare concrete wall. This used to be something that would be quite disconcerting but over these past three months it had become quite normal.

You laugh at yourself a little as you remember the first few weeks on the run with Ticci Toby, your boyfriend. Everything had been kind of scary, especially waking up to an unfamiliar room. On one especially memorable occasion you had actually made it to the side door of the old fire house before Toby had caught you and shaken you awake.

Slowly, you make your way to the chemical shower in the back of the warehouse. It's lucky this place has any sort of way to bath. You can name several recent locations off the top of your head that hadn't had this basic necessity. After getting doused in approximately five gallons of freezing cold water you dry off, get dressed, and walk over to the makeshift stove that had been left here.

This place is one of the more recently inhabited ones you've been in. Until just recently people had still been clearing it out so it makes sense that it would still have some electricity. Scowling you search through the bag Toby 'commandeered' to keep the food in. There isn't really much left right now. Dammit, that means you will have to go to a gas station nearby at stock up. One more opportunity to get caught.

They have a missing person's alert out for you right now thanks to your no good ex Frank. It makes life that much harder.

It's not like you haven't been caught before but each time you have gotten lucky. It always plays out in the same way. Some idiot wanders into Toby's hideout and finds you. They of course assume you need help. You play the good little victim until Toby shows up and kills them.

The sad part is that everytime that happens, Toby and you have to pick up camp and move towns again. You're honestly worried that Ticci Toby will eventually get tired of the burden you place on him and leave you behind.

In all honesty though, you wouldn't blame him.

Moving quickly in an attempt to warm yourself up after your shower, you scrape together some of your stash of stolen cash and, with the backpack thrown over your shoulder, you step into the overly bright outdoors.

The cash was another part of the burden you caused Toby. He had never had to collect much when it was just him. With your added mouth to feed he ended up stealing a lot more. Some days you felt awful about it but today you couldn't care less.

In your opinion you were doing pretty well. When considering how many things you had been forced out of necessity to learn to do without, you felt like you could cut yourself some slack.

Regular showers for example. Before running away you had taken at least one shower a day. Now you're fortunate to get three a week. Food is another luxury you hadn't realized you had until it was gone. One thing that has come from this is a definite loss of weight. You aren't quite sure if that's a good thing or not.

The worst thing has probably been the lack of internet access. You of course understand that it would be stupid to carry any sort of electronic with you but that doesn't mean you don't miss google and netflix with all your heart.

Thankfully you were able to bring your iPod nano. Sure it's old but it works well enough and it keeps you from going insane whenever Toby's out killing.

As you walk down the sidewalk, you're careful to keep your eyes trained on the ground. There's really no need to have someone recognize you when you can just avoid the situation in the first place.

Not that you haven't tried to change your appearance somewhat. You had taken a knife and roughly chopped at your hair till it was a ragged mess. That and the fact you haven't seen any beauty products in ages has given you an upperhand but it's nothing to rejoice over.

Walking into the local speedway, you swiftly grab what you need. Most of it is what you used to categorize as 'junk food' but nowadays you see it as 'quick energy'. You pull the last bag of pretzels off the shelf and you're about to toss it into the little shopping basket when you notice a person standing nearby.  
Yes, standing nearby is no crime but something about this man is unsettling. He wears a yellow hoodie that's pulled down over his face. While you stare, the man examines some lighters feigning interest in their variety of colors.

You're sure you felt the man's eyes on you moments ago but, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, you walk on past him. Sadly, you've never been particularly graceful. You stumble slightly and knock into the man. His arm hits the stand of lighters he had been looking at, sending them flying.

You know you should just hurry away but something within you says 'It was your mess [name], clean it up'.

"Sorry." you apologize, stooping to gather the fallen lighters from the ground. As you hand the man the lighters to put back on the shelf you clearly see his face, or lack of it.

He's wearing what appears to be a mask. A comically sad face, complete with X's for eyes, has been stitched onto the cloth in red thread. You feel chills run down your spine.

"S-sorry again." You say as you quickly grab your basket and bolt for the cashier. He gives you a quizzical look but says nothing.

"Thank you." You say quietly as you leave. You're thanking him for his silence. With your head down, you leave the Speedway, still jittery. A movement from just inside of your peripheral vision makes you spin like a top.

A man in an orange jacket leans against the brick wall of the gas station you just left. Around here that's usually normal but this man's wearing a mask, like the man inside. Unlike the guy in the store, this mask is white. It wouldn't have looked out of place in a theater but here it was creepy. It's eyes, eyebrows and lips were black, all sculpted to perfection.

The worst part is, the man is staring right at you. He's probably just looking for someone, you reason. Even so, you hurry away.

 _There's probably a logical reason for him being there._ At this point though, you're tired of reasoning things away. Just to set your mind at ease you turn back around.

The white masked man is still standing there, but now, the yellow hooded guy has joined him. Both are staring at you with unseen yet unrelenting eyes.

You start to walk faster, unsure if they will follow you. You sincerely hope not.

After walking a few blocks you pause and look around in search of the two men. You see nothing. Before this would have comforted you but now you know what's really lurking the second deepest shadows.

Everyone knows not to hide in the deepest shadow because if someone hides in the second darkest shadow, they will have a great view of who's hiding in the darkest one.

Still you can't help but hope this means the men aren't following you. It's not like you aren't confident Ticci Toby would be able to handle them, but you don't particularly like watching him kill people. In fact, you haven't actually had to yet.

You are really good at closing your eyes at just the right moment.

You hurry the rest of the way to the warehouse, determined not to look behind you anymore. When you reach the side door you quickly open it and slam it shut behind you. The resounding _boom_ makes you feel slightly more secure.

"Hey [name], what's got you so spooked?" Toby asks curiously with a slight twitch.

You bite your lip. You might just be paranoid but then again, paranoia keeps people alive. "I'm sure it's nothing." You mutter, more for your benefit than Toby's. You drop the backpack on the floor, not really wanting to cook yet.

He walks over to you, his body language conveying worry much better than his masked face can. "Normally, you don't come in flushed and twitchy. It's clearly something."

You can't help but grin. Toby has you memorized better than anyone else you know. Walking forward and leaning your head on Toby's shoulder, you mutter, "Just these guys I think were watching me."

He gives a slightly insane chuckle as he gently embraces you. "If you describe them I might be able to kill them for you." he offers.

You pull away giggling. "I don't think a description will help you with these guys. They were both wearing masks."

"They w-were?" Toby's stutter reveals itself as nervous energy begins to swim around him. You turn in time to see him flinch violently.

"Yeah, why?" You ask innocently.

"N-no reason. Would you mind describing them to me anyway?" He whips his head around, probably looking at each entrance.

"Okay…" Your worry returns in response to Toby's reaction. As you start to fix brunch, just to do something with your hands, you continue. "The first one had a full face ski mask on with X eyes and a frowny face stitched on in red." You try your best to sound conversational. "He was also wearing a-"

"Yellow hoodie." mutters Toby as he twitches.

"Yes!" You're surprised. How the heck had he known?

"Let me guess, the other guy was wearing an orange jacket and a white mask with black lips and eyes." Toby sounds like he's dreading the answer.

You nod regardless. "Yeah, do you know them?"

Toby taps his foot against the concrete spasmodically. "I'm sure it's n-nothing." His stutter says otherwise.

You furrow your brow but say nothing.

"Will you be extra careful [name]. I don't want anything happening to you." Toby whispers.

You roll your eyes. "I always am careful Toby."

Toby chuckles softly as he helps you unpack the food you just bought. "Hey [name], why did you get this lighter?" He holds up a golden lighter.

Your face pales. "I didn't get that." Inscribed into the lighters shiny face is a circle with an X through it.

Toby hisses through his teeth with a twitch. "Well shit."

 **A/N: Well looks like Toby just got caught. O.o**

 **Don't worry he survives. Can't really say the same for you...**

 **JK! You only die if you chose the bad ending... ;)**

 **Bye!**


	2. Laundry

**A/N: Did you know that this is way easier to write than most stories? It kind of flows from me in a soothing stream instead of being violently vomited onto the page…**

 **Thanks to** Superkassu and WCDragonS.  **for reviewing and thanks to all of you who didn't say anything. I can relate to your silence…**

 **I'm going to shut up now! Enjoy!**

Warmth is the first thing your brain registers because as winter rears it's ugly head it's only getting colder. As you lie there in silence your ears pick up the soft sounds of breathing.

Ticci Toby is pressing against your back, his arms wrapping around you in a warm comforting way. For a minute more, you stay still, content to just lie there.

You're surprised that Toby hadn't woken you up when he got back but then, if you'd know he was there, he wouldn't be much of a silent serial killer.

Careful not to rouse Toby, you extract yourself from under the blankets and out of his arms. He gives a little disappointed moan and tics but doesn't wake up. A smile twitches at your mouth as you turn to find food.

The mysterious lighter is still where it had landed after Toby had thrown it at the wall. You stoop and pick it up. Other than the weird symbol, there's absolutely nothing remarkable about it whatsoever. You click the light and a small flame makes its appearance on the tip. You watch the small flame dance for a minute before releasing it. The light vanishes.

Shrugging you stow the lighter in your pocket and begin to rifle through the backpack for something mildly appetizing. Eventually you settle on some cheese crackers and start to eat.

While the morsel of food settles in your empty stomach you notice the blood stained clothes lying in a heap next to the backpack. Sighing, you go and gingerly pick them up. They're begging desperately for a wash.

Remembering the coin laundry you had seen on the way to the speedway, you decide to go wash Toby's hoodie. Besides, you have dirty clothes as well.

 _Be careful [name]._ Toby's warning makes you hesitate momentarily. What if you see those guys again? Just in case, you grab the small knife you had purchased soon after running away and stash it in your pocket with the lighter. _Just in case…_ You think again.

You slip out the side door and into the outside. There are birds in the trees but, unlike a Disney movie, their calls are scratchy and unpleasant. "Shut up." you mutter.

Thanks to the magic of the universe, a cat that had been creeping along a tree limb chose that moment to spring. Swiftly, it killed the offending bird. All the other birds took flight as one leaving the area silent.

Now smiling, you walk along, bag of dirty clothes under one arm and knife in the palm of the other. You don't draw the blade, you just finger it lightly as you whip your head back and forth, constantly checking for hidden attackers. You don't see anyone but that in of itself is odd. Usually there are walkers out at this time of the morning.

The crack of twigs snapping brings your head around in fear. You curse yourself for being so jumpy. It's only going to make you a target for potential killers. When no one appears you continue walking, albeit, at a significantly faster pace.

At last the coin laundry comes into view. The dingy exterior and fading sign would turn away most but for you this is perfect. No awkward questions about the bloodstains and no security cameras to provide incriminating evidence.

As you walk in you notice the flickering light in the corner and head for it. The farther away from people you are the better. Quickly, you load the clothes into the washer and insert the coins. After setting the washer, you sit down to wait.

Without meaning to you drift off into a barely conscious state. Images of the people yesterday flicker in your mind. Something about them has Toby scared, but what? Does he know them? Your thoughts cloud over and soon, you are asleep.

Eventually the _ding_ of the washer reminds you why you're here. Sluggishly you take the dripping wet clothes and stick them in the dryer.

About twenty minutes later the door behind you opens and in steps a girl. She looks panicked, like she was running from someone. Her blond hair flies around her in an unruly tangle and her clothes are dirty. She sees you and runs over, desperation in her eyes.

"You need to help me!" she pleads.

You look outside but see nothing. "What's wrong?" you ask curiously.

She has a hunted look about her as she spins around to check to see if someone is behind her. "I was chased here!" she proclaims. "Some guy was following me! I think he's going to kill me."

You continue to scan the outside. "I guess I can help you. What did this man look like?"

She gulps and slumps to the floor in relief. "Thank you so much, I don't really know, I was running too fast to get a good look at him."

You give a disinterested sigh and ask, "Was he carrying a weapon?"

She nodded fiercely. "Yes, he was carrying two axes!"

A small laugh escapes you lips. "Well then I'm afraid I can't help you. You see, I don't really have any control over his actions." Your amusement is lost on the girl.

"Wha- what do you mean?" she asks in a terrified whisper.

"Well, you know, I can wash his clothes all I want and keep the food well stocked but when it comes to who he kills I'm powerless to stop him." The girl backs away from you in fear. "Oh don't be like that." you say with an evil grin. "I'm not going to kill you, he is!"

"Y-you're a murderer." she whimpers.

You look at the clock on the wall. _Ten minutes before my clothes are dry. Oh joy…_ "Come on now," you say sadly with a touch of insanity. "You shouldn't label people like that." You turn to the door knowing exactly who the next person coming through it will be. "I'm not the murderer, I'm just dating him."

She scrambles to her feet and flies at the door, desperate to be free of you. Too bad for her, the door opens before she can reach it. Not wanting to see the end game, you turn back to your laundry.

"Oh come on, we weren't finished playing yet." Ticci's voice is soft and demented.

The stupid girl screams loudly right before Toby silences her with one of his hatchets.

You hear her body slump to the ground. "Gees Toby, you don't usually let them get that far." Your hands tremble as you brush your hair from your face. No matter how many times Toby is forced to kill someone in your presence you can't seem to get used to it. Every time you end up feeling like a trapped animal.

"Normally, you don't just wander off. What are you even doing here?" he asks as he walks over to you.

You snort. "Oh, I was attending a secret Illuminati meeting. I'm afraid that now you know about it, I'll have to kill you." Toby's laugh is warm. "What? Did you actually think I would be cleaning clothes or something?"

"No, you are _much_ to good to be doing laundry!" Toby exclaims. You turn at last and find him standing behind you. A few drops of blood are soaking into his clothes but for the most part he escaped cleanly.

"Well if that's so, I'm going to let you take those things back to the warehouse." You nod to the dryer where the clothes lie. "I shall go for a walk."

Ticci twitches. "Very well." His mockingly eloquent speech makes you giggle.

"See you later Toby." You pull his scarf down and plant a kiss on his cheek before walking away.

After carefully stepping over the quickly pooling blood, you exit the establishment and take off at a brisk pace down the street. It's still devoid of life save the few scrawny squirrels that scamper around the street.

The park is a few blocks away. You had seen it when coming here and you're determined to go there at least once.

There's nothing special about the park itself. In fact you would have labeled it as sad, kind of like everything else in this town, but you don't really want to stare at a brick wall for _any_ amount of time so this seems like a good alternative.

A narrow winding path lazily trickles through the park. You walk along it, unsure of where you're going.

Peace like this is seldom while on the run. So much running isn't good for you but you aren't about to complain. All in all, it's worth it.

You sit on a park bench and lean back. Nothing bad could possibly happen to you here, right?

Well, no actually, a lot of things could happen to you…

"Hello again."

Your head snaps up at once. The man with the yellow hood stands before you, throwing a switchblade casually up in the air. Your hand goes to your pocket, grabs your blade and draws it. "Who are you?" You ask in annoyance.

The man tilts his head. "No fear? No running away in utter terror?"

You shrug with a lot more confidence than you actually have. "I don't believe in fear." Not strictly true but it sounds good. "So instead of trying to scare me, why don't you go back to whatever hell hole you came from and leave me alone."

If you could have seen the man's face he would probably been smirking. "I've never had someone I'm about to kill try and insult me."

You slowly stand so you're in a better position if he attacks you. "Don't get cocky, who said you were going to kill me?"

His delicate mirth drys up and he tilts his head in confusion. "I did."

Staring into those red X eyes, you force yourself to laugh. "Well I personally don't agree with you and I have a sneaking suspicion my boyfriend won't either."

He flips his knife once more up into the air then catches it, sharp end pointing at you. "I could totally kill him too."

"He doesn't take to kindly to that." You break into a full sprint away from the guy.

He's fast but thankfully he doesn't seem to be as fast as you. You take alleyway after alleyway, zigzagging around in an attempt to lose your tail. At first he keeps pace with you but soon he falls behind. Eventually you can't see him anymore.

Still jogging, you hurry back to the warehouse. Toby is going to hear about this and he is going to explain why he knows this person. People, if you count the white masked man from yesterday.

You reach the warehouse at last and are about to throw the side door open when you hear voices coming from inside. Getting down on hands and knees beside the partially open door you peer at the people making all the fuss.

Toby and the white masked man from yesterday.

"I told you Toby, there isn't really a choice to make. It's time to come back." The stranger says in a surly tone.

"And I've already told you Masky, I'm not going back there." Toby yells as he twitches violently.

"Scared?" Masky hisses. Toby's growl sends shivers up your spine. "Because this looks to me like you don't want to face people after all that shit hit the fan."

Toby's neck cracks as he mutters. "It's not that anymore, I have other reasons for not wanting to go back."

Masky tilts his head in a questioning look. "Oh really? Enlighten me!"

"I don't have to answer your questions." Toby said angrily.

"If you won't give me a good reason for staying I'll give you a good reason for coming back. She's alive." Masky's voice was the picture of triumph as Toby froze.

"That- that can't be! She died."

Masky laughs. "And that is where you are wrong."

Toby slowly backs away from Masky while shaking his head.

You honestly can't keep quiet any longer. _Who wants you back Toby? Who died? Who is this Masky and why is he here?_ You open your mouth only to find a finger placed over it.

"Shh… Just let them argue it out." You turn slowly to see the hooded man who had been chasing you.

"Surprise!"

 **A/N: Meh… that was a weak ending but honestly I had nothing better. Sleep is a good thing that I can never have enough of…**

 **Then again I love sleep deprivation… I wish I could just chose.**


	3. Visitors

**A/N:** _ **Another chapter Another chapter…**_

 **I feel slightly zombified. All I can think about is this fanfiction and it's driving me crazy. Oh well, time to put all that to good use.**

 **Enjoy!**

You scream.

Sadly this doesn't help your case. Toby and Masky both turn to the door in confusion.

The yellow hooded man behind you swears softly and shoves you into the warehouse in anger. You fall to the floor in a sorry heap. "Not as good at clearing out the trash as I used to be." The man behind you says softly.

Masky tilts his head and says in annoyance. "Just kill her; we were in the middle of something."

Toby leaps into motion at once. "I don't think you're going to do anything to her." His voice is low and threatening. Any normal person would have been terrified but these people clearly aren't normal. Toby attempts to shove Masky aside but ends up staring at a knife hovering at his throat.

"Well well well. It looks like you found something Hoodie." His voice is a malicious hiss.

Hoodie grabs you by your hair and pulls you up and away from Toby. "Oh Toby, what did you do?" He takes his knife and presses it to your throat. Goddammit you really need to get better about not letting people hold knives to your throat. "You know the rules."

Roughly Toby shoves Masky's knife away from his throat. Grimly he takes out his hatchets and holds them at the ready. "Let her go now. None of this has anything to do with [name]." You see him twitch violently.

"Getting a little twitchy there. Are you worried about your girlfriend?" Masky's voice is mocking and cruel. "There really isn't any point; we're going to kill her no matter what you do."

As if on cue, Hoodie's knife digs in but doesn't break your skin. You have developed a callous there thanks to previous occasions. "Just let us deal with this Toby, it's better that way." His voice is reasonable.

"Hoodie, Masky, I'm going to give you five seconds to release [name] or I swear I will kill you." Toby's voice is deadly quiet. "Nobody has to die here."

Masky laughs. "Looks like you lost your touch Ticci. I guess I'll have to tell Slender you just aren't cut out for this anymore. Of course that also means I'm going to have to kill you."

Without warning, Toby lunges for Masky. Masky leaps back in surprise as Toby's hatchet comes within an inch of his face. Hoodie releases you to go aid his friend but you stop him.

You might not be the best with a knife but you know how to use it. You slice at him forcing him to back up. To your horror Hoodie reaches into his waistband and draws a revolver and points it at you.

 _Bang!_ You dodge just in time to avoid the bullet but your ears are left ringing. In a knife fight you could probably have survived but against a gun in the hands of a much more seasoned killer, you don't stand a chance.

Toby is faring better than you are. Masky and he seem to be evenly matched in terms of skill but Toby keeps glancing at you to make sure you're okay. Masky uses every mistake Toby makes against him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Toby growls as he dodges Masky's blades. "I was given permission by Slenderman to leave."

"Because, according to that same Slenderman, it's time for you to come home." Calm leaks from Hoodie's voice. "Besides, she misses you." His gun fires again and leaves a hole by your head. Stunned you forget to move until it's too late. Cold hard metal is pressed to your forehead. "Masky, what should I do with her?"

Completely disregarding Masky, Toby lunges for you. "Leave her alone!" He aims for Hoodie's head but Masky grabs him from behind and holds him still.

"Let this be a lesson to you. Don't fall in love with a human. Clockwork was a good choice but [name]," He shrugs. "Well, let's just say she wasn't your best idea ever."

Hoodie looks at Masky and nods. Slowly, he cocks the revolver, ready to kill you. "Nothing personal, we just aren't supposed to get involved with humans. If Slenderman were to find out, he would kill Toby and I would chose to kill a random chick I just met over watching my friend die any day."

You stare death in the face and refuse to blink. This is, by far, the worst situation you've found yourself in. Hoodie sighs. "Goodbye [name] sorry I never got to know you." Despite the fact you have no reason to be nice to your killer you nod.

"He never has to know." Both you turn to face Toby in confusion. "What Slenderman doesn't know won't hurt him." His neck twitches as he stares at Hoodie.

Hoodie slowly withdraws his gun from your forehead. "He knows everything Toby, not telling him won't stop him."

Toby snorts. "Slenderman won't do anything unless you tell him. If you tell him he'll feel obligated to act but if you say nothing he won't kill anyone." You stare at him, unable to decide if he's bluffing or being completely serious. Either way, you aren't about to complain, anything for a few more heartbeats.

Hoodie sighs, "Toby, Slenderman is requiring us to report to him every day. Do you expect us to just not tell him?"

"Yes!" Toby exclaims in exasperation. "Lie to him if you have to! Trust me; he won't kill you for a small lie like that."

"A small lie?" Masky asks in disbelief. "This is _huge_ Toby! Our contact with humans is heavily regulated for a reason! Dragging [name] along with you could be signing your death warrant."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take and let's be honest, I'm not the first Pasta to make that decision. Clock did as well." Toby says it like it's his trump card. "If she survived I will to."

Tapping his foot Masky grumbles, "I guess that's true. Clockwork _did_ survive." He gestures for Hoodie to back away from me. Slowly he walks up to me and stares into my eyes. At this distance I can make out dark eyes behind his mask. They're cold and calculating but not, as I had suspected they would be, inhuman.

"Before I let you go I need to make something perfectly clear to you. Toby is our-" Masky fishes for a word and at last settles on, "He's like our brother. If at any point your existence causes a direct threat to his life, either Hoodie or myself _will_ kill you without hesitation. Do you understand that?"

You nod deliberately without breaking eye contact. "Yes I do."

Masky takes a step back. "I'm glad." He walks over to Hoodie before saying, "Don't expect to live forever [name]."

Toby stores his hatchets and is instantly at your side. "Ignore them. Slenderman won't care enough to reach you here and even if he does, he'll have to get through me first." He ignores Masky's snort of derision.

All the questions swirling in your head finally find their escape hatch and one bursts through. "Who is Slenderman?" It's quickly followed by, "Who's Clockwork? Who are these people? What's going on Toby?" You stand on tiptoe attempting to see eye level with your much taller boyfriend. As you shake a still trembling finger in his face you growl, "You have a _lot_ to explain to me."

With a defeated aura Toby nods. "Yeah, I guess I do but later."

Hoodie turns back to the two of you and tilts his head. "Don't be ridiculous Ticci, why don't we all sit down and talk! Besides," He says with a definite smirk to his voice. "I'm hungry."

"It would give us an opportunity to make friends with your girlfriend and come up with reasons to _not_ kill her!" Masky says with a chuckle.

"Come on Toby, please?" you beg with huge puppy eyes and a trembling bottom lip. The picture might be overdone but you're just messing with him.

"Listen to your girlfriend." Hoodie says wisely.

"Fine!" Toby throws his hands into the air. "I suppose I don't have a choice."

Despite the fact that you would be spending breakfast talking to your would-be murderers you smile. "Nope, you really don't."

 **A/N: Want to know the terrible truth about this chapter? It was started right after the second one. I took** _ **that**_ **long to finish it. *sighs sadly* My little sis has promised to help me with my deadline issue. She watches me write and if I try to do something else, she smacks me over the head with a heavy book.** _ **In theory,**_ **it keeps me on track** _ **and**_ **knocks my ideas loose!**

 **I just hope it works…**


	4. Explanations

**A/N: So… I was experimenting and, well, through a long string of totally related events I ended up writing smut. *Watches innocence fly out the window and waves goodbye* Hey, it was bound to happen at some point. All that's left to do is post it…**

 **To post or not to post, that is the question…**

 **Ah well, if you want it, tell me. If you don't I'll eventually convince myself to do it anyway! Enjoy!**

With a slightly unsure smile on your face and a more than slightly nervous churning in your gut you sit down to breakfast with three murderers. The psychosis levels are so high you can practically taste the unpredictable crazy.

Of course of the three you're the most comfortable with Toby (duh, he's your boyfriend) but there's something scary about him as he stares coldly at his 'friends' that sets you on edge.

"Please don't do anything stupid." You whisper close to his ear.

"I make no promises." Toby says frankly. "These two aren't exactly the nicest people."

You refrain from pointing out that neither is Toby.

"So," Masky exclaims, "Why don't you tell us about how you managed to go from hung up on Clockwork's 'death'," He makes air quotes around the word. "To dragging [name] here around everywhere."

Toby mutters something unintelligible before relating the past months to his eager listeners grudgingly. While he talks your two guests eat through the food you had just bought. Masky only has his mask lifted enough to reveal his mouth. Hoodie's hood is pulled down too low to see his revealed face.

"And that's how we got here." Toby finishes.

Hoodie nods, still looking down. "I can see why you like her."

Masky's mouth tugs into a smile. "She is quite something." He runs his fingers through his hair. "I won't say I regret trying to kill you because I don't but I have to admit, there's more to you than meets the eye."

Hoodie chuckles. "He's saying sorry. Hey!" Masky elbows him in the ribs hard. "We're allowed to be wrong once in awhile. You've got a lot of potential."

You blush at their praise then remember your original purpose for eating with Masky and Hoodie, namely, finding out who the hell they were. "So, now that you've heard all about me, why don't you tell me who you two are?"

"Can't hurt." Hoodie decides with a shrug. Carefully he reaches under his hood to fix his mask then, looking up, he points to himself, Masky and Toby. "We're all Slenderman's proxies. Slenderman's kind of this demon that eats little children and feels bad about it never. We carry out missions for him, guard those he tells us to guard and generally act as his personal slaves."

You can't help but let pity well up in your eyes. "God, that sounds like an awful life."

Masky's mouth twists into a bitter smile and he replaces his mask. "It's not all bad. We gain a few privileges but we lose a lot of freedom."

"Including the privacy of our own head." Toby sounds bitter so you decide not to question further.

"If you're all his servants, why did he let Toby go?" You ask curiously.

Masky laughs. "Extenuating circumstances involving Jeff and Clockwork's supposed death."

You knuckle your eyes only finding more questions behind your eyelids. "Tell me about that."

Toby clears his throat uncomfortably and Masky snorts. "Come on Toby, she's your girlfriend. You owe her a well-deserved explanation."

"Yeah, I do." Toby takes a deep breath. "Clockwork _was_ my girlfriend." You're glad to note the emphasis on _was._ It worked to soothe your fears.

"Go on." Hoodie prods. "Tell her about the incident."

Toby's moan is one of distress. "Do I have to?" In a few seconds the powerful intimidating man you've always known in transformed into a younger less hardened version of himself.

"Yes." Masky and Hoodie say at once.

"Fine, I'll tell her." He turns to you and says, "Slenderman sent Clockwork, Jeff the killer and I on a mission to Zalgo's dimension. Everything was going fine until Jeff decided to screw around. Long story short we ended up in a fight and they dragged Clock off." You can see the pain in his eyes as he speaks. It's clear that he's still haunted by the memory. "We were forced to leave Clockwork to her death. I blamed Jeff for the mess and tried to kill him on _several_ occasions. Eventually Slenderman sent me away to 'cool down' and get over Clockwork. That's when I met you."

You sit there trying to process the information. You can't help but wonder if you were a replacement for Clockwork. "But now she's back." You venture.

"Yes." Masky responds. "She showed up recently in bad shape but still alive. According to her she had to fight tooth and nail to escape but she managed. She also came back wanting to see her boyfriend." Those last words are directed at Toby.

"Well?" Hoodie asks.

"Well what?" Toby bristles.

With a long suffering sigh Hoodie prompts, "What are you going to tell Clockwork?"

"Nothing." Toby announces. "It's not as if I'm dating her anymore. I'm clearly attached to someone else."

"Clockwork doesn't seem to think so. She still thinks of you as hers." Masky informs Toby with a hint of warning tinging his voice.

"You can tell her to go to hell for all I care." Toby retorts. "She's supposed to be dead remember? It's not my fault I moved on with life. She's going to have to understand that I was never _hers_ and I never will be."

You know you should feel soothed to hear Toby standing up for your relationship but instead you sink farther into uncertainty. If what they were saying was true, Toby had been attached to a much more capable killer and she was still convinced they were together. What was supposed to stop him from getting tired of the burden you caused and going back to her?

You aren't worth that much after all. You're weak and you can't even watch Toby kill people let alone help! If push came to shove you might learn how to be a killer but would you ever be able to measure up to this Clockwork in Toby's eyes?

All in all, you start to feel very small indeed.

With a grunt Masky gets to his feet and helps Hoodie to his feet with clear affection that wakes some feelings of envy within you. Did Toby act like that with Clockwork?

"We should probably get back to 'searching'." Masky says with a smile to his voice. "Don't worry Toby, we'll keep you two posted, just remember to tell us where you're going next."

"Sure thing," Toby mutters. "Don't let Slender kill you guys. I'd never be able to forgive myself if you guys ended up suffering for my decisions."

"Does that mean you're regretting them?" Hoodie asks curiously.

With a twitch and a smile Toby throws his arm around you and tenderly pulls you close. "Not for a second."

"Just checking." Hoodie says. "Seeya!"

They quickly duck out of the side door and are gone.

 **A/N: And the seeds of jealousy have been sown. Trust me, it's gonna be good. I mean, people might die but what else did you expect?**

 **Happiness? Goodness no, I'm not that nice!**

 **In other news, my new solution to my deadline problem is working great! I've been writing more than ever and I only have two goose eggs on my forehead (my sis takes her job seriously)**

 **UNTIL NEXT TIME, MEOW!**


	5. Good Enough?

**A/N: So does this count as posting regularly or just getting really** ** _really_** **lucky? I mean, it's better than I've been doing but is it a pattern yet…**

 **Oh well, this chapter will certainly make up for my uncertainty! A certain person is very uncertain in it! It's certain to turn out well.**

 **Certainly an interesting prospect I'm certain.**

 **Certain… It's now lost its meaning…** ** _Certain_** **, it doesn't even sound right anymore.**

 **Enough dawdling, enjoy!**

You toss and turn in bed unable to get comfortable. Toby had elected to go blow off some steam by killing innocent people while you had been sentenced to a night of stewing in your own misery.

And what a misery it is! Ever since Masky and Hoodie had left yesterday you had been stuck thinking about Toby and _Clockwork_. God, even her name is making you see red. Her taint has crawled into your brain and taken over. Every time Toby says anything nice to you all you can think is, _would Clockwork have done it better? Would Clockwork have looked better? Would Clockwork_ been _better?_

'Would Clockwork have?' had shortly become your mantra. She was affecting everything you did and it wasn't just you. Toby had clearly been reeling at the news that his girlfriend/ex was still alive. He still didn't seem to have his head screwed on straight and honestly, could you really blame him?

He had obviously loved her.

You bury your face in the old pallet Toby had 'found' and scream softly. How are you supposed to compete with a girl you've never even met? You're tempted to ask Toby what she'd been like but you always lose your nerve on account of being too afraid to ask and too afraid to find out. You'd rather not have Toby think about her anymore that is necessary. I.e. none if you can manage it.

Another groan escapes your lips. This constant obsessing wasn't getting you anywhere but you can't really do anything else. Toby hasn't been doing much to ease your anxiety, if anything he's made it worse.

After Masky and Hoodie and left he had sat there, still holding you, and mumbled something about not wanting Clockwork to find you then he had got up and left.

Just left. Of course he had come back that night for some dinner before going out again but that meal had been just as tense as everything else was feeling. The only words he had spoken were to compliment you on how well you had handled the situation earlier that day and told you not to worry about Clockwork.

Like that was any comfort coming from Clockwork's sort-of ex. You groan louder. You weren't even thinking of Toby as your boyfriend. To be perfectly honest you had started to think of him as Clockwork's property.

Finally you get fed up with your uncomfortable mat and get to your feet to wander around. The warehouse is big and empty in the dead of night. You half wish Toby was there to keep you company but the thought of the barrier Clockwork has created between you two makes you stop wishing.

Climbing a set of rusty metal stairs that scale the side of the warehouse you step out onto the old catwalk cautiously. It could give way at any moment but you're too tired to care about your own safety. As you look down over the expanse you sigh softly.

"Penny for your thoughts?" You turn to see Ticci Toby's dark twitching figure at the other end of the stretch of catwalk. He doesn't look at you; instead he stares out into nothing as though it holds some meaning.

You stare at him for a moment before turning back to look out at the darkness. "They're not even worth that." You mutter sullenly, trying and failing not to let Clockwork invade your mind once more.

Toby twists and leans on the railing, staring reflectively at the celling as he asks, "This is about Clockwork isn't it?"

You almost answer but you bite your tongue last second and don't make a sound. As Toby says the words you realize how ridiculous you must seem, jealous of someone you've never even met. How pathetic.

"I'm not going to lie to you, I loved her." Toby says softly. Those words are the last thing you want to hear. Your heart curls into a small little lump at the base of your stomach and whimpers pitifully.

Paying no mind to the distress you're clearly in, Toby continues, "I'll be the first to admit how upset I was over her death. I was deviated and could think of nothing else for weeks. Losing someone for me is really hard."

Part of you wants to reach out and comfort Ticci Toby but the other part of you is too in need of comfort to give any away to the very person confusing you so much.

"But got over it anyway and then I met you and Clockwork was just gone. Yes, I still cared about her but I didn't _love_ her anymore." The tears threatening to fall from your eyes halt and you blink them away as you stare at Toby's silhouette. "I only have eyes for you [name], Clockwork can complain about it as much as her heart desires, I don't care. I love _you._ "

At long last you find your voice and after a few false starts you ask softly, "What happens if she finds us- Me?"

With long even strides that exude confidence, Toby crosses the gap between you two and pulls you against himself in a tight embrace. "Then I'll fight for you." He puts a finger under your chin and tilts your head so you have to look him in the eyes. Without his aviator goggles on, they catch the scant moonlight and reflect it back like a cat's eyes would. "If it came down to it, I'd rather kill Clockwork than lose you."

A stray tear leaks from your eye at those words. You can hardly believe that you ever doubted Toby in the first place. "I don't want it to come to that." You whisper clearly through the small gap between the two of you.

"Neither do I," Toby admitted softly. "But you're worth it." Slowly, he bends down and kisses you softly. All thoughts of Clockwork flee your mind as you press yourself against Toby's solidness and give into his warmth.

After all, if Toby's on your side, what can go wrong?

 **A/N: Again, weak but I wanted angst and I indulged myself and wrote angst. The plot's about to come at me thick and fast so this is my last real chance for drabble. Just humor me this once, I** ** _swear_** **it won't become a habit. Main character killing however…**


	6. Closing In

**A/N: I've been getting some new ideas (I know, dangerous) and they're all centered on Slenderman. Okay, I know I don't usually traverse into the territory of the OC's but I've been suffering from empty nest syndrome after finishing A killer's love and I need something to fill it.**

 **Ignore my rambles, ENJOY.**

 _Flashback_

 _With a defensive air Masky crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm telling you Slenderman, we can't find him anywhere."_

 _Slenderman turns in his chair so Masky can't see his face. "Do you really think you can get away with this?"_

 _Hoodie clears his throat. "With all due respect Slender, we don't have a choice."_

 _A low rumble of laughter echoes through the room. The sound raises goosebumps on Masky's arms and sends a chill down Hoodie's back. "No, I do not suppose you do." Slenderman murmurs once his mirth has faded away. With a wave of a long fingered hand he continues, "Toby has always been a rather restless one. Who is she?"_

 _Both Masky and Hoodie are silent for a moment before Masky clears his throat and mutters, "Keeping in mind that this girl doesn't exist, she's good for him."_

" _Ah, I see. I am sure that you know that_ if _I were to find out about this imaginary girl, certain actions would have to be taken." Slenderman's voice comes out as a well measured hiss._

" _We're aware." Masky states dryly._

" _That is all." With a dismissive gesture Slenderman mutters, "You may go."_

 _Cautiously, Hoodie starts to back away, dragging Masky with him. The moment they were outside the door both breath sighs of relief. "We need to be more careful about [name]." Masky mutters darkly._

 _Nodding Hoodie agreed "Who for the record, totally doesn't exist." Swiftly they made their way down the hallway only to be stopped by a curious voice from one of the doorways lining the hall._

" _What were you talking about? Who doesn't exist?" Clockwork's curious green eye studied them both intelligently as she steps from the doorway._

" _We weren't talking about anything." Masky looks away as he says it, clearly nervous. For her part, Clockwork picks up on it at once._

" _You have information on Toby don't you." Sudden intensity burns in her eye. "Where is he?"_

" _We don't know." Hoodie says quickly, hoping to diffuse the situation._

 _Lips parting in confusion Clock's mouth suddenly twists into an ugly snarl. "I don't care if he doesn't want to come back. Tell me where he is or I swear I will kill you."_

 _Scoffing Masky backs away, retorting, "Hoodie already told you, we don't-"_

 _Quicker than Masky could have imagined Clockwork had both her knives drawn and had pressed one of them against his throat. "What are you hiding?" She spits furiously. "Why won't he come back?" Clearly crazed she asks, "Is there someone with him? Answer me or I swear-"_

 _The soft click of a gun cocking and the feeling of cold metal being pressed against her temple gave Clock pause. "Let Masky go." Hoodie hisses softly, voice deadly. "Now."_

 _Slowly, Clockwork backs up, making sure to keep her knives where Hoodie could see them. Even with her motions of surrender, her face is venom. "You can lie to Slenderman, but you can't lie to me. Whatever it is you're hiding, wherever it is that Toby's staying. I'll find out and mark my words, if I find_ someone _with him, I will kill that person without a second thought." Quick as a snake she darts away._

 _Mostly unfazed by the sudden assault Masky brushes himself off and hisses a breath out through his teeth. "Well shit."_

Moving day is always stressful. It probably won't matter how many times you pick up everything and change towns, you will never get used to it. It's bad enough when it's you studying the map and Toby stealing the car but now you have 'help'.

"I think you should clear the next couple towns just to be safe." Hoodie insists once more.

With a glare aimed in his general direction you pull the map away and mutter, "I've already told you, traveling too far with a stolen car is a jail cell waiting to happen."

Hoodie crosses his arms and humphs. "Trust me; with a place like this one, you need to get out of the reach of the law enforcement of the surrounding area. If you don't go far enough you're sunk."

You know he's right but you're loathe to admitting it to his face. For some reason both Masky and Hoodie had made it their job to help you and Toby skip town. It's not like you need their help, it's just they aren't giving you a choice in accepting it.

Currently, Toby and Masky are stealing the car you'll be using to get away while you've been left to argue about destination with Hoodie on your own. If Hoodie had possessed a slightly different personality you wouldn't have minded but there's something about his reasonable and well thought out approach to _everything_ that is getting on your nerves.

You mutter something mutinous under your breath as you search the map for a better place. Finally you settle on the nearest city and point. "There."

Hoodie taps his arm with a finger as he contemplates your choice. "It'll have to be on the outskirts." He says at last. "Masky and I need to be able to reach you guys fast. If we don't have a wooded area nearby, we can't do anything for you."

 _Fine by me_ , you think mutinously but common sense keeps your mouth buttoned shut. Reminding yourself that Hoodie is only trying to help, you nod. "We'll make sure to take that into account."

"Good." You hear Hoodie shift from foot to foot and immediately you know something's amiss.

"Is there more crucial knowledge you must impart to me?" You ask with a sarcastic edge that masks your worry. There's nervousness in the way Hoodie fishes for something to say in response. Clearly, it's not good.

"You might have some company if we're not careful." He settles with at last.

At once your mind jumps to a million possible things he could be talking about, none of them good. "What exactly is _that_ supposed to mean?" You ask, dreading the answer.

"He means that these two screwed up royally." Turning you find Toby storming in and, even though his eyes are hidden, you can see the fury in the way he stands.

"We didn't see her!" Masky shouts back as he follows, equally pissed off. "We had no idea Clockwork was-"

"Hold on, what?" Getting to your feet you glare fiercely at Masky and Hoodie in turn. "Let me get this straight, you told _Clockwork,_ the number one person we should be staying away from, that we were here?"

"To be fair," Toby admits, anger slowly draining from him as you near him, "They never said anything, she guessed and assumed she was right." Drawing you to himself, Toby sighs slowly as if trying to dispel his frustration. Next to him as you are, you can feel the tension in him and it worries you.

"So, we're screwed?" You hadn't meant to sound so defeated.

"Not necessarily, after all it's only Clockwork." Masky mutters with the edge of a smirk in his voice.

"Until she tells Slenderman." Toby growls mutinously. "Hell, he might find out without her help. Once that happens, we're sunk."

"Chances are," Hoodie begins, clearly choosing his words carefully, "he already knows. He just _chooses_ not to do anything. He's only going to come after you if someone comes to him and tells him. At that point, his job dictates that he _has_ to do something."

"So as long as Clockwork doesn't find us and tell Slenderman…" You begin uncertainly.

"Then you should be fine." Masky finishes.

You feel Toby relax against you. "I like those chances better." Pulling away he walks to the map you had been studying. "Now, I hope you've got some place figured out because we've gotta go."

Looking uncertainly at Hoodie you venture, "I think we got something figured out?"

"Great!" Clearly not picking up on the uncertainty in your voice Toby grabs the map and the pack beside the table. "Then let's get out of here!"

As you follow Toby to the car you become aware of the fact that Masky and Hoodie are both following as if intent on coming. "Why are you guys coming?" You query, peeved.

"Because we fancy a drive through the run down suburbia." Masky replies, deadpan.

Armed with the knowledge that, until you become more convincing or more threatening, you can't make either Masky or Hoodie go away, you don't grumble as you're told to sit in the backseat with Hoodie. In fact, you manage to remain completely silent for the majority of the trip, at least until Masky asks Toby, "So, have you thought of teaching [name] any sort of self-defense?"

"I'm right here." You grumble.

"I haven't actually." Toby mutters, embarrassed. "There's been other stuff and it kind of slipped my mind."

"Other stuff," You despise the soft smirk in Hoodie's voice. "Such as?"

"Other stuff," you answer as sweetly as you can muster. "But I'm sure that you could teach me something for Toby."

Masky snorts. "We don't have time for that [name]."

"Well make time." Hoodie mutters as he regards you curiously. "Does she have much killing instinct?" The question is, yet again, directed at Toby.

"No, but if you keep acting like I'm some fascinating laboratory specimen, I might develop one." You comment dryly.

"That's not exactly how it works," muses Hoodie, obviously deciding to ignore your sarcasm. "You either have it or-"

"You don't," Masky finishes shortly.

"She doesn't need any killing instinct," Toby grouses, hands tightening on the wheel.

"She _didn't_. Now you might have Clockwork on your tail." Masky argues reasonably. "If Clockwork attacks her, and she will if she finds her, [name's] screwed. Chances of her beating Clockwork if she's not aiming to kill are zero."

Something inside you twists and you mutter, "If it was self-defense, I wouldn't have any qualms about killing."

"And if it wasn't in self-defense?" Hoodie asks curiously.

Suddenly uncomfortably you defensively answer, "Not everyone is a cold blooded murderer." The most disturbing thing is, you're not exactly sure if you would or not. If you spent all your time with a serial killer, how far of a stretch was it to picture yourself eventually committing similar gruesome acts?

Apparently, Hoodie can't read your mind. Looking away he nods and says, "I suppose you have a point there."

The rest of the ride is spent in absolute silence that is only broken by Masky's sharp, "Stop here!" And the screech of the tires as Toby pulls up to the curb.

Nodding at the derelict house with the foreclosure sign in front Masky says, "This should be good. If you guys stay here, we should be able to reach you almost instantly."

"As will Clockwork," mutters Toby but his words go unnoticed.

"Yeah but trust us Toby, it'll all work out." Hoodie reassures as you open the car door and climb out onto the pavement. With many a grumble, Toby follows. It makes you smile to know that Masky and Hoodie's presence doesn't just annoy you.

Hoodie jumps out of the car and for a moment you think he's going to chaperon your settling into your new hide out but he just gets into the driver's side of the car. Rolling down the window Masky calls, "Me and Hoods are going to go drop this off somewhere and then go. We'll check back in tomorrow." With that, the two of them pull away.

"Well," Toby turns to you and you can see the half hooked smile in his eyes, "Looks like it's just you and me [name]."

Grinning you nudge him with your elbow and ask, "What are the chances they have a decent bed?"

"What do you say we find out?" Together you and Toby stroll into the house. Sure you probably wouldn't last the week with how things were looking but with Toby beside you and a new hideout, you couldn't really ask for much more.

 **A/N: If you took note of the first authors note, I'm sure you can realize just how much this story has been getting shoved to the wayside. But I'm not going to continue in this path any longer! (lies, all of it lies)**

 **I'm going to be writing this again because… um… I miss Toby? Yeah, that works.**

 **Until next time!**


	7. Found

**A/N: So, what with an action packed (still lying) chapter ahead I figured** _ **why not?**_ **Until I have an official replacement for Blinded Fate (*sniffles*) I've got to do something. This seems to be wanted so… What the hell?**

 **Enjoy. I think…**

Masky mutters something mutinous under his breath as Toby and [name] disappear from view. Looking nervously at his partner, Hoodie softly asks, "What's wrong? It's not like you to be this worried."

"It's also not like Toby to do something _this_ stupid." Masky grinds out past clenching teeth. "And against my better judgement, [name] has grown on me and she's more than grown on Toby."

With an understanding nod Hoodie fixes his eyes back on the road. "Sadly her chances aren't good."

"They would improve if we just bit the bullet and brought her to the mansion." Masky says. "At least then she'd have a _chance_ of surviving."

"Do you really think Clockwork's going to let competition _live?"_ Hoodie's words, while harsh, are depressingly true.

"True, she'd have to learn to defend herself." Masky muses.

"And kill." Hoodie adds softly. "She's capable of it, killing. The question is, does [name] _think_ she's capable."

"Doubtful." Masky spends a few seconds looking about aimlessly before saying, "She's already got _some_ skill with a knife, right?"

Scoffing, Hoodie mutters, "Basic, very basic, whereas Clockwork…"

"Is on par with Jeff." Masky finishes dismally. "We're screwed."

"Kind of." Hoodie says with a grin in his tone. "But when has Toby ever let that stop him? Let's just run with what we've got and just see where it goes."

"You know, usually it's me saying that." Masky murmurs with a laugh.

"Usually it's me panicking over nothing." Hoodie points out. "So, where exactly are we gonna leave this thing?"

"Roughly where we got it." Masky responds with a full throated laugh. "It'll help keep the police off Toby's trail, not that he needs our help with that apparently."

The rest of the drive is spent in a companionable silence only broken by Masky's lazy directions. Once the car was resting in its previous location, both Masky and Hoodie made a beeline for the nearby spread of trees hoping to get home before breakfast.

As you snuggle up closer to Toby a small contented sigh escapes your lips. There had indeed been a real bed and you had forgotten just how amazing it could be to sleep on one. That being said, you were quickly remembering.

Loud gusts of wind rattle the flimsy panes of glass in the windows causing you to shiver involuntarily. To quote one of the many TV shows you hadn't watched since giving up Netflix, winter is coming. Another chill races down your back and you resign yourself to getting up and finding something warmer to wear because apparently, a thin tee shirt isn't enough.

Sleepily you drag yourself from the bed Toby and you had commandeered and start searching your pack for the small fleece you carry, shivering all the while.

"[Name]?" Toby yawns and sits up in bed, blinking his eyes sluggishly. Even though he's shirtless, he doesn't seem to be affected by the cold. "What are you-?"

"Shh, go back to sleep." You reassure, finally finding said fleece and squirming into it. Still staggering out of sleepiness, you collapse back into bed and attempt to find the warm spot you had previously occupied. Just as you accomplish this, something sharp pokes you in the side.

With a soft yelp you gingerly reach into your pocket to find a knife that you had all but forgotten was there.

"What?" Toby asks, worried.

"Nothing, just my knife." Pulling out the offending object you look it over in the soft moon glow before stuffing it back in your pocket.

Sighing Toby mutters, "I really should teach you some self-defense. You really aren't safe."

"You know, everyone keeps saying that," You mutter dryly, "Do you think that by saying it, something will change?"

With a soft laugh Toby says, "No, not really."

Tossing your hair out of your eyes you look at him and mutter, "It's gonna be okay. We'll survive."

With a snort Toby pulls you against himself and mutters, "Yeah, but in how many pieces?"

Forcing yourself to relax against him, you don't answer. There isn't a truthful answer either of you are going to like so what's the point? Why not just enjoy the moment before it vanished?

Uneasily, sleep falls over you. Blackness at last sooths the nervousness inside of you leaving a blessed mental silence that you haven't had in all too long. Your mind drifts aimlessly, floating between dreams like a ship lost at sea as if searching for somewhere to dock.

It's due to this partial awareness that a soft clicking noise awakens you. Blearily, you shake your head to clear the fuzz from it before opening your eyes to squint through the darkness. Even though there's nothing to see the strange clicking that had awoken you continues.

"Toby?" You mumble uncertainly.

"Wha?" As Toby comes up with a start, you roll off of him to give him room. "[Name], what's going o-"

"Shh!" You put a finger to your lips hurriedly and turn your head, trying to find the noise again. "Don't you hear it? The clicking?"

As if aware of your words, the sound stops. Toby gives you an odd look as he mouths 'are you okay'. Glaring pointedly you concentrate, trying to focus on the night sounds. The silence feels loaded and heavy to the point of suffocation.

After a moment, Toby slips his arms around you and mutters, "There's nothing there [name]. C'mon, it's like midnight or something."

Still jumpy you lay back down, slumping into Toby's embrace almost immediately. Just as you grudgingly close your eyes a creaking sound, deafening in the still air, breaks the night open like a wedge, bringing you and Toby up like a shot.

Illuminated in the doorway by the light streaming through the slats of the boarded up windows, stands a dark, wild, knife wielding figure. Her unkempt brunette hair falls to her shoulders, framing a drawn, grotesque face. Her mouth is stitched into an eternal smile and her mismatched eyes seem to gleam, one the burnished face of a clock, the other an acid green.

You don't need to be told who it is, it's obvious.

Clockwork.

For a long moment you both regard each other, unsure of what to say. It's clear to you the girl before you is trying to process the scene, struggling to take it all in. You don't dare say a word for fear of setting her off. As the silence lengthens, your pulse increases, matching the tension that is rising off of Clockwork in waves.

Her one eyed gaze flickers to Toby, still devoid of emotion. Toby, for his part, steadily returns her stare, unafraid. Slowly, Clockwork circles the bed, movements made jerky from the tension that seems to boil just beneath the surface. Stopping directly in front of the bed, she waits, body taught and ready.

"Toby." She at last whispers, voice flat. You fight to conceal the tremor of fear that shoots through you.

As calmly as she, perhaps more so, Toby nods slowly. "Clockwork." When she says nothing Toby slowly reaches back for his hatchets, voice evenly adding, "No one has to get hurt here Clock. I just need you to take a step back and-"

She never gives him the chance to finish. One moment she's staring at him blankly, the next she has leapt onto your bed and is kneeling on your chest, a knife pressed to your throat. Stunned you fight to throw her off, abruptly suffering from a lack of breath as she crushes your windpipe with the flat of her blade.

"I knew those two were hiding something! How dare a little _bitch_ like you _touch_ Toby!" She shrieks, eye crazed and livid as you thrash beneath her.

Almost at once Toby throws her off of you, hatchets at the ready. "What did I say Clocky, stay away and no one has to get _hurt_." He's out of bed now, moving towards the furious girl with calm movements, seemingly not even shaken by her sudden attack.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She screams, flying at you again only to be repelled by the flash of Toby's hatchets. "Who is _she_!" Terrified you scramble back away from her, rubbing your throat to attempt to bring back feeling to it.

"I think you need to stop yelling and calm down." Toby insisted, voice still deadly quiet.

With a quick wave of ferocity, Clockwork lunges at Toby, knives raised. "How dare you- you- _cheat on me_!" She howls, calming down obviously the last thing on her mind.

"I'm not cheating on you." Toby corrects in a rushed monotone, parrying her blows deftly. "You were dead so I moved on. There's nothing wrong with-"

"Nothing wrong?" Clockwork's words are fringed with a frenzied panic. "She's a human! How could you do this to me?"

Still trying to control her, Toby says quickly, "I haven't done anything to you. [Name] is my girlfriend and has been since you vanished and I left. I never did it to insult you or something."

Knives flashing faster than her words, Clockwork yells, "You chose that _thing_ over me? Despite all the rules and the fact that we are together, you chose a _human_?"

"We aren't _together_ anymore, we haven't been for a long time." Forcing her back, Toby grinds out, "I made my decisions Clockwork. You don't control them or me."

"I was tortured. I fought and bled to get out of that hell hole!" She screeches. "I was _left behind_ and all I had to get me out of there was the thought that you were waiting. Now I come back to find you've hooked up with a piece of trash and are choosing her over _me_?" With an agility that scares you, Clockwork flips up onto the bed and has her knife to your throat again before you can blink.

Pulling you up off the bed roughly, Clockwork hisses, "Drop the hatchets Toby, now. I know you're weaker than me, don't think I can't remember that far back."

At once Toby becomes wary and you know Clockwork can see it too. "Please Clock, just let her go. You don't have a quarrel with her." As Toby speaks your limp hand rests on your pocket and a sudden memory strikes you. _My knife_.

"Oh, so it's please now is it?" Clockwork mocks, pressing her blade more sharply against your throat, leaving a thin cut in its wake. "Trust me, I have a grudge against her and it's called _existing_!"

Your hand closes around the hilt of the knife as Toby pleads, "Clockwork, she didn't do anything. It's not her fault I moved on, take your anger out on me not her."

"Oh I will." She assures him, voice calmer than it's been all night. "But first, I'm going to get rid of this small inconvenience."

A burst of adrenaline shoots through you and without thinking you bring the knife up and bury it deep in her hand. With a cry of pain and shock Clockwork releases you to cradle her injured hand allowing you to at last scamper back, fear almost blinding you. The moment you are within reach Toby grabs you and pushes you behind him, out of harm's way.

Growling Clockwork yanks your blade from the back of her hand and throws it aside, using her hoodie to staunch the flow of blood. Determination returned to him, Toby shouts, "Get out of here, now!"

"Fine!" She yells back. "I'll leave, _for now_. Mark my words Toby, that little bitch's days are numbered." Turning she dashes from the room.

The sudden return of silence is held for a moment before a pitiful whimper tears through your throat. _Of all the shit I've had to live through, this takes the cake._ Unable to hold yourself together you collapse to the bed where you clutch at the sheets and sob. You aren't even sure why you're crying, all you know is you can't hold it back.

 _I'm going to die_.

Toby drops to the ground beside you and pulls you against his chest, shushing your tears. "[Name] it's over, she's gone." He rocks you back and forth, running a comforting hand through your hair until you can cry no more.

Drawing in great, heaving lungfuls of air, you finally whisper, "She's going to kill me."

"Not if I don't let her." Toby holds you like that for a while, not speaking until at long last your exhaustion gets the better of you.

Gratefully, you fall into a deep, blessedly dreamless sleep.

 **A/N: Wow, something happened. I guess that means I have to prioritize this story again. Thanks to the guest that commented just recently on this story. You finally convinced me to get my butt in gear and finish this.**

 **So, what with 12 Ways to Die taking up so much of my time I haven't really had time to come up with a replacement for Blinded Fate but then my sis mentioned PAX was going on and I got thinking…**

 **Dare I attempt another OC?**


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